Australians trapped in the al-Hawl camp for families of Islamic State fighters in north-eastern Syria have issued desperate pleas for the Australian government to rescue them as Syrian and Turkish forces close in. Two more Australian citizens—a mother and a seriously ill child with shrapnel wounds—have been discovered in the camp, bringing the total number of Australians there to 68, including 20 women and 44 children.
Kamalle Dabboussy, whose daughter Mariam and three grandchildren are among those held, said the newly discovered mother and child had previously been too frightened to leave their tent. “The child is quite ill, has been injured with shrapnel wounds. The mother appears to have been targeted by radicalised women in the camps before. She’s been beaten with metal poles,” he said. Another mother and child have reportedly been taken to a local hospital due to the child’s dangerous illness.
Dabboussy’s daughter Mariam sent a message pleading: “Please don’t let us fall into the hands of the [Syrian] regime. We’re asking just as humans, just as regretful people. If this happens that’s it for us. That’s it for my kids.” Another Australian woman, Zara Ahmed, described deteriorating security, saying a woman’s mutilated body was found in the toilets.
Dabboussy visited Parliament House in Canberra to urge federal politicians to intervene, stressing that a window for safe rescue remains open. “The camp is still under Kurdish control. The border crossing is still open. Action can still be taken, but I think that’s a situation of days rather than weeks,” he said. Mat Tinkler of Save the Children Australia noted that families are prepared to cooperate with authorities if repatriated, arguing it is better to prosecute any cases in Australia than leave people in a war zone.
The Australian government has consistently opposed rescue missions, with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton describing some camp detainees as “hardcore” individuals who could cause mass casualties if returned. The US withdrawal and subsequent Turkish military offensive have heightened fears for the camp’s security.
